Copyright Atlanta Black Star
The raging feud between Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump has seeped into the comedian’s family affairs. The late-night TV show host and his wife, Molly McNearney, were guests on a recent podcast, where it was revealed that opposing political views have fractured the couple’s relationships with non-liberal relatives. The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show was suspended for five days in mid-September amid conservative uproar over his commentary about Charlie Kirk and Trump loyalists. Since his return to air, Kimmel has continued to pummel the elected official in his monologues, which has now impacted his home life. ‘I’d Watch Your Words if I Were You’: Jimmy Kimmel Torches Trump’s Record, But It’s The Scathing Melania Punchline That May Land Him Back in Hot Water McNearney, who works as an executive producer and co-head writer for the ABC talk show, said the shift in the men’s back-and-forth has been a breaking point. She told the hosts of the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast that her pro-MAGA relatives “are deliberately being misinformed every day.” She said, “It hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have where my husband is out there fighting this man.” The couple has been together since 2010 and married since 2013. According to the mother of two, she understood why certain relatives supported Trump in 2016, but she is now less sympathetic toward their voting choices. “Them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family. I unfortunately have lost relationships with people in my family because of it. This is not just Republican versus Democrat for me anymore, to me, it’s family values,” McNearney continued. McNearney had a conservative Republican upbringing but broadened her view on politics and society after leaving her hometown of St. Louis and meeting “people from different backgrounds.” Moreover, the writer shared, “I feel like I’m kind of in constant conflict and I’m angry all the time. … I personalize everything now. When I see these terrible stories every day, I’m immediately mad at certain aunts, uncles, cousins who put him in power. And it’s really hard.” As a clip of McNearney’s remarks circulated, so did reactions to her bombshell admission of her and Kimmel’s familial rift. On X, one person said, “I agree. It’s hard to have relationships with people who sees life so differently. This isn’t politics. It’s morals and values.” Another asid, “@jimmykimmel wife is not alone. This is in just about every family. It’s not just about a difference of opinion on where our tax dollars should be spent. It’s now about cruelty at all costs to anyone not white, heterosexual, rich and male.” According to one commenter underneath a Yahoo! repost of The Wrap’s article about Kimmel and his wife’s interview, “She must not care very much about her family if she has disowned them because of their politics. She needs to stop whining. This was her decision to stay away from her family.” Another person suggested, “Her husband is not battling Trump. He has taken his ‘comedy’ and turned his show into a boring, political platform to share his beliefs. He’s not Johnny Carson. I predict now when he loses his show, within year they will be separated.” A second individual took a swipe at the couple’s marriage with, “You have a different last name as your husband so you are clearly embarrassed by him.” At least one person believed that politics should not sever relationships. They wrote, “Life is too short and precious. Agree to Disagree and get on with your lives.” On the contrary, a critic hit back at McNearney with, “They’re probably glad to see you go!” In addition to the news about Kimmel’s personal life, he also faced a personal loss after his longtime friend and bandleader Cleto Escobedo passed on Nov. 11. “We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” Kimmel said to the audience while crying. “But this one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go, and I’d like to tell you about him, if you don’t mind.” He thanked Escobedo’s parents and family, who were seated in the audience, for treating him like a son and then announced that he would be taking some time away from work. “Um, cherish your friends. We’re not here forever,” continued Kimmel in between tears. “Thank you for indulging me. We’re going to take the next couple of nights off.” Elsewhere in the podcast episode, the couple addressed breaking the news of Kimmel’s suspension to their two sons, ages 8 and 11. When asked if the host was if “the president had done this,” they responded, “Yes.”
